If you can get your hands on zucchini blossoms, do not miss out on the opportunity to make this recipe - it's a bit fiddly but not difficult and the rewards in terms of taste are huge.

Ingredients

4 zucchini flowers

100g Philadelphia cream cheese

100g feta, crumbled

pinch of thyme leaves

½ a cup plain flour

½ a cup sparkling water (or prosecco!)

¼ tsp salt

cooking oil (I used sunflower)

runny honey

Instructions

Rinse the flowers very gently under running water (do not soak!) to remove dirt and bugs. Gently dry with paper towels. Using tweezers, gently remove the stamens and pistil (the bits with the pollen inside the base of the flower).

Mix the cream cheese, feta and thyme in a bowl. Carefully spoon the mixture into the flowers, dividing it equally and taking care not to tear the flowers if you can.

Pour enough oil into the pot you are using for frying so that it is about 1.5 inches deep and heat. If you have a thermometer, the oil should reach 180C/350F. If you have no thermometer, this is the temperature at which a cube of bread will brown in about a minute.

In the meantime, make the batter by mixing together the flour, sparkling water/wine and salt. Whisk well until it is smooth with no lumps.

When the oil is ready, carefully dip/roll each stuffed flower until it is completely coated in batter, shake off the excess and lower carefully into the hot oil. Repeat until all the flowers are in the oil. Fry until the lower half of each flower has become crisp and golden (about 1 minute), then turn over and fry for another minute or so until the other side is also crisp and golden.

Remove from the oil with a slotted spoon and drain the excess oil on kitchen towel.